Let’s face it. The majority of our research and discovery takes place online these days. You’re busy; I’m busy; and look at this place, it’s got a 5-star rating. We’re all using Google’s flagship services —Google Search and Google Maps— to search for local businesses.
Google Maps alone has over 1 billion monthly users. When we head out of the house, whether at home or abroad, most of us have an eye on a screen, as we’re following that blue line that’s conveniently showing us the best route to our chosen destination.
For local businesses, improving your visibility across Google’s online ecosystem is essential. In this article, we explain how to get your business on Google Maps and how you can optimise your listing for local SEO so that it’s easier for potential customers to find your business and tell others about it.
Jump to
- How do I get my company on Google Maps
- Managing customer reviews
- Optimise your Google Business Profile for local SEO
- Can you show ads on Google Maps?
How do I get my company on Google Maps?
We often hear this question from customer-facing businesses looking to drive more local traffic. And we love the chance to answer this question as it gives us the chance to talk about the benefits of local SEO.
Whether you’re the owner of a small business; responsible for marketing at a startup; or overhauling the marketing strategy at a long-established company, the starting point in your local advertising journey is the same. You have to get your business listed on Google.
You do this by creating a free Google Business Profile —a tool that serves as Google’s online directory of business listings.
We’ve broken the process down into 3 steps.
Step 1: Set up your Business Profile on Google
A Google Business Profile allows you to manage your online presence across Google’s various services, including Google Maps and Google Search.
Creating a business profile requires you to input basic information about your business. Certain information is required whilst other information is optional. We discuss optimising your Business Profile later in this guide, but a good rule of thumb is to provide as much detail and ‘digital touchpoints’ as possible.
Create your Google Business Profile now —it’s completely free.
Required info:
- Business name
- Location/address
- Business category
Optional info:
- Phone number
- Opening hours
- Website / URL
If you’re just getting started or don’t yet have a website for your business, Google has included a ‘I don’t have a website’ button. You could choose to add the URL of your business’s primary social media page here instead (don’t worry, you can update the information and linked URLs on your Business Profile at a later date).
From an SEO standpoint, it’s best to add your website’s URL to your Business Profile. So, whenever you’re ready, we strongly recommend you build a website for your business. For those who are unsure where to begin, we’ve published plenty of content on how to go about building an SEO-friendly website.
Keep in mind that the information you add to your Business Profile will be shown on Google Maps and Google Search. As well as the accuracy and consistency of the information you add, also be mindful of branding —for example, add your trading name rather than the full/legal business name, and make sure you have some up-to-date images that are on-brand.
1.1 What if my business is already listed on Google Maps?
In some cases, a business listing may already exist for your business on Google Maps. This can happen if customers leave a review or upload photos at your business’s location. If you find that your business is already listed on Google Maps, you’ll need to claim the listing, rather than creating a brand new listing.
To check if your business is already on Google Maps, simply search your business name or current / previous addresses on Google Maps. To claim a business listing on Google Maps, select either of the ‘claim this business’ or ‘own this business’ links contained within the listing info. You will then be asked to complete a verification process to prove you are the business owner or affiliated with it.
Step 2: Verifying your Google Business Profile
After creating or claiming your profile, you can begin Google’s verification process. Verifying your profile serves two purposes. First, it confirms the accuracy of the information you’ve provided to Google and second, it ensures that your profile is only accessible to you for the purposes of editing or updating your business’s information.
Google uses various verification methods. The most common is by verification code whereby you are sent a 5-digit code that you then have to input on the Business Profile website or mobile app. Depending on your business category, you can choose from multiple options to receive your verification code, including; by voice call, by text, by email or by mail.
Other verification methods include being asked to share a non-sensitive record that shows the details of your business or joining a live video call in which you will be asked to show your location and demonstrate your ownership of your business whilst on the call.
The verification process typically takes between 1 and 7 days for new businesses. Once you have successfully verified your profile, you can begin improving the information contained within your listing.
Step 3: Complete your Google Business Profile
Now that you’re set up and verified it’s time to fully complete your profile. Remember what we said earlier providing as much detail and digital touchpoints as possible? This is your chance to fill in as many sections of your profile as you can and add those extra details that prospective customers are looking for.
Go on maps and see how your profile appears. Are you happy with how your business’s short name displays? Are your business address, opening hours and contact information all correct?
3.1 Write an informative description
Your profile description is a key element. Businesses with a well-written, informative description are considered to be more reputable, more approachable and more trustworthy.
Some talking points to mention in your description include;
- Social proof such as your founding date or notable achievements
- Your locations and service area
- The primary business category
- Your popular products or details of your service offering
3.2 Add photos
If you haven’t already, add some images and brand collateral. Google allows you to add a cover photo, a logo, and a selection of other photos that will display when users check out your profile on Google Maps or Search.
3.3 Activate the chat feature
You can turn on a chat feature that allows users to initiate a conversation or request a quote directly from your profile on Google Maps. To activate the “Chat” icon on your Google Profile, click the ‘Messages’ section within your profile dashboard and then toggle the ‘Turn on’ button.
3.4 Add products and edit services
Depending on your business category, you may have the option to add products and edit services on your profile.
Products: Select the ‘Edit products’ section then click the ‘Add product’ button which will bring up a form to add an individual product.
Services: Select the ‘Edit services’ section to bring up the list of services based on your business type and category.
Managing customer reviews
Customer reviews are an integral part of your Business Profile on Google. Your star rating and associated reviews are the main attributes that potential customers look at when assessing your business on Google Maps.
Reviews don’t just influence customer behaviour, they can also have a lasting impact on your brand reputation. Furthermore, Google considers businesses with regular reviews as more trustworthy meaning that reviews can have a positive impact on your SEO.
Ask for reviews
Word-of-mouth marketing has evolved. Instead of friends and family sharing their thoughts amongst themselves, complete strangers are sharing their thoughts online for all to see. It’s important that you have a regular stream of reviews being posted on your profile. Keep in mind that users can filter reviews by ‘Newest’ on Google Maps —it might raise eyebrows if your most recent customer review was posted 3 months ago.
It doesn’t hurt to ask customers to leave you a review on Google Maps, especially those customers who you and your staff think have had a positive experience. Some businesses also choose to offer an incentive for customers to encourage their customers to leave a review.
Most customers should have no problem finding the tab on Google Maps where they can add a review to your profile, but you can also be proactive in requesting reviews. At the top of your Google Business Profile dashboard, you’ll see an ‘Ask for reviews’ section. If you click on that, you’ll find a URL that you can copy and then paste anywhere, such as your social media pages or website. If you gather customer data, you can also send the link over email or via text message.
Respond to reviews
Responding to reviews is a chance to engage with your customers, get a dialogue going and get across a bit of your brand personality. Most people don’t just look at the star rating, they’re also reading what others are saying and how businesses are responding to reviews, both positive and negative. In fact, 89% of customers read how businesses respond to reviews.
As any business owner knows, it’s near impossible to meet every customer’s expectations. Mistakes happen and, unfortunately, the occasional negative review is inevitable. Yes, they can be unpleasant to read and you might think it’s better not to validate negative reviews, it’s important to respond to all reviews. Leaving negative reviews unresolved can harm your business and leave potential customers guessing.
We’ve collated the 10 best practices on how to respond to negative reviews that you can use to create your own company policy on customer engagement. The idea being that you and your team will know exactly how to respond to customer reviews in a way that’s on-brand and lessens the negativity.
Optimise your Google Business Profile for local SEO
Your Business Profile plays a central role in how your business is presented across the Google ecosystem. Remember that your profile links to both Google Maps and Google Search, the primary tools that potential customers use to discover new businesses, especially when searching for location-specific local businesses.
Optimising your Google Business Profile is therefore crucial for enhancing your local SEO efforts, so that your business stands out in local search results. As we like to say here at WebHummel, optimising for SEO is an ongoing process. Creating your Business Profile isn’t enough, you’ll need to implement the following practices if you want to optimise your listing for local SEO.
1. Include relevant keywords
Keywords make it easier for Google to understand what your business does and the locations you serve. Include location-specific keywords in the information you present on your Business Profile to boost your local SEO.
You can include these keywords in various parts of your profile, including;
Description —the “from the business” section is an ideal place to include location-specific keywords that make it clear where your business is located and the geographic area you serve.
Review responses —you don’t want to sound robotic, but it might be possible to include relevant keywords in your responses to customer reviews. Keep in mind that including keywords in your responses is secondary to actually responding to customer reviews.
Q & A section —the ‘Q & A’ section on your Business Profile dashboard essentially serves as an FAQ. This is a ‘community-driven feature’ meaning that anyone can ask questions about your business, and anyone else can answer those questions. Monitor this Q&A section and include relevant keywords in your responses to questions. In some situations, your answers to individual questions can appear in search results as a rich snippet.
Avoid stuffing keywords into your content. Try to include keywords in a natural way that results in a smooth reading experience for users.
2. Maintain the quality of information
Maintaining the quality of information means ensuring the accuracy and completeness of the information you include on your Google Business Profile. To reiterate an earlier point, you want to provide as much information on your Business Profile as you possibly can.
Make sure that every section of your Business Profile is completed and update relevant sections when there are changes to your business. For local SEO, pay particular attention to the following sections:
Contact information —ensure your phone number, address, and given URL are correct
Business hours —keep your hours of operation up to date, including updating special hours for holidays or national events.
Attributes —use the attributes section to highlight the amenities and features of your business that are important to certain customers. You can edit factual attributes such as wheelchair accessibility, service options such as delivery, outdoor seating, or Wi-Fi availability.
Businesses that provide more high-quality information are seen as more trustworthy in the eyes of Google, which can improve your visibility in local searches.
3. Regular updates and engagement
Don’t let your Business Profile go dormant. You want to show Google and potential customers that your business is active. Update the details on your profile as you make changes to your business to ensure accuracy and actively manage customer reviews. Earn new customer reviews and respond to them promptly, whether the review is positive or negative.
Another easy win that many businesses neglect is to regularly upload photos to your profile to keep it fresh whilst showing Google that you are an active and customer-focused business.
Can you show ads on Google Maps?
Yes, it’s possible to connect your Google Business Profile to Google Ads and then run local search ads that are shown on Google Maps for relevant local searches for your business type, services or products.
We’ve written about how to set up local services ads and explained why this form of local advertising can be particularly beneficial for small local businesses. For example, some eligible businesses such as plumbers and electricians can use local services ads to appear above competitors on Google Maps whilst also displaying the Google Guarantee badge —a customer-friendly display that demonstrates consistent professionalism.
Set your business up for long-term success with WebHummel
One of the difficulties that growing businesses face is dealing with the ever-increasing complexity. As we improve our understanding of a process, such as how SEO fits into the wider digital marketing strategy, it usually leads to our daily task list growing. With multiple plates spinning, it can be a real challenge to be certain of what work is valuable and what work is simply busy work.
For some businesses, it makes sense to seek out professional advice on what’s working and what isn’t or even automate some of those effective but time-consuming processes.
At WebHummel, we offer a full range of search engine marketing services from web design, PPC management, and SEO services.
Have you recently established a business and need help with your marketing? Are you an established business that’s just getting started with your SEO journey? If so, we can help improve your online visibility and set you up for long-term growth.
